Red Bull may have already made their decision on Liam Lawson’s future ahead of emergency meeting

Only two races have passed in the 2025 Formula 1 season and Liam Lawson is already at risk of losing his seat.

The Kiwi driver has had a torrid start to his Red Bull career. In three qualifying sessions so far – including Sprint qualifying at the Chinese Grand Prix – he has failed to get out of Q1, qualifying last twice in Shanghai.

Lawson has not scored a point in the first two races, crashing out of the season opener in Melbourne and finishing 12th last time out in China. He crossed the line in P15 but was bumped up after both Ferraris and Pierre Gasly were disqualified after the race.

The RB21 has proved to be a difficult machine to drive, with its performance currently not up to competing with McLaren and Mercedes. Red Bull are already 42 points behind the former in the constructors’ championships – mainly due to Lawson’s performances.

After two races, the Milton Keynes-based outfit are set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss what they can do to solve their problems. One of those topics is whether to drop Lawson already, with Yuki Tsunoda set to replace him ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Red Bull are set to decide before Suzuka whether to make a change to their driver line-up and relegate their second driver back to Racing Bulls. But the team may have already decided Lawson’s fate before the meeting.

Red Bull have reportedly already decided to drop Liam Lawson ‘effective immediately’

F1 fans want Red Bull to drop Lawson and make a change to their line-up after his disappointing performances. While his car is difficult to manage given it is tailored to Max Verstappen’s driving style, he was brought in to perform better than Sergio Perez.

So far, he has been nowhere near what the Mexican managed to achieve. At this point in 2024 – when it was known Perez was struggling – he finished second in Bahrain and Jeddah behind Verstappen.

In Lawson’s defence, he has driven two tracks that were completely new to him going into the weekend. Suzuka is a familiar track from his Super Formula days and could benefit him if given the chance to race at Red Bull – but that does not seem likely.

According to a report from sport.de, Red Bull is ‘pulling the plug’ on Lawson and sending him back to Racing Bulls after just two races.

It has not been officially confirmed yet as the team have not had their emergency meeting in Milton Keynes. However, the report claims that the Kiwi driver will lose his seat ‘effective immediately’, with Tsunoda set to replace him.

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull Racing F1 driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Can any driver perform in that second Red Bull seat?

Red Bull are notorious for making brutal decisions on their driver mid-season. Their decision on Lawson is by far the most cutthroat – but hardly surprising.

The car is so suited to Verstappen that none of his previous teammates have been able to cope. Gasly, Alex Albon and Perez were all kicked to the curb by Red Bull for failing to match the Dutchman, with Lawson set to add to that list.

Lawson risks having the shortest Red Bull career in F1 history, beating Robert Doornbos’ tally of just three races. While the 23-year-old’s performances have not been good enough, there is no guarantee Tsunoda is the answer to their problems.

The nature of the RB21 makes it currently not in a position to fight for wins, even with Verstappen at the wheel. Tsunoda will inherit the problems Lawson faced – having been capable of scoring points at Racing Bulls if not for a botched strategy at Melbourne and front wing damage in Shanghai.

Verstappen does not want the Red Bull driver change as it risks ruining their careers. Lawson is set to be the fifth fourth driver in six years to lose his seat at the Milton Keynes outfit – and he may not be the last.